2009/04/13 by Lisa Kiang, David T. Takeuchi · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Psychology · Medicine · #Racial and Ethnic Identity Research #Gender Roles and Identity Studies #Social and Intergroup Psychology #Ethnic group #Moderation #Marital status #Demography #Distress #Psychology #Psychological distress #Gerontology #Clinical psychology #Medicine #Mental health #Social psychology #Population #Psychiatry #Sociology
paper · doi:10.1111/j.1540-6237.2009.00625.x
openalex publication_date 2009/04/13 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
OBJECTIVE: Links between phenotypes (skin tone, physical features) and a range of outcomes (income, physical health, psychological distress) were examined. Ethnic identity was examined as a protective moderator of phenotypic bias. METHOD: Data were from a community sample of 2,092 Filipino adults in San Francisco and Honolulu. RESULTS: After controlling for age, nativity, marital status, and education, darker skin was associated with lower income and lower physical health for females and males. For females, more ethnic features were associated with lower income. For males, darker skin was related to lower psychological distress. One interaction was found such that females with more ethnic features exhibited lower distress; however, ethnic identity moderated distress levels of those with less ethnic features. CONCLUSIONS: Phenotypic bias appears prevalent in Filipino Americans though specific effects vary by gender and skin color versus physical features. Discussion centers on the social importance of appearance and potential strengths gained from ethnic identification.